Hem recently opened its first retail experience in San Francisco. The pop-up shop, which is open for the duration of November, is conceptualized by designer Jonathan Olivares and draws inspiration from the city's iconic surf and skate culture.
"As one of the premier global direct-to-consumer design brands, we've had our sights set on doing a pop up in San Francisco for some time. Not only is it the birthplace of brands defining our generation, but it is home to a significant portion of our customer base," said CEO and Founder Petrus Palmér. "We also wanted our first foray into this market to be reflective of the vibrancy of the local community, so enlisting Jonathan to create a California-inspired shop made perfect sense."
The pop-up shop shows a selection of Hem's products within an architectural context established by a series of new room dividers designed by Olivares. The room dividers were made by legendary surfboard shapers Scott Anderson and Skip Engblom using production processes and colorways that they mastered and developed. The dividers also situate Hem's objects within California culture: Englbom was pivotal to the evolution of skateboarding as the co-founder of the Zephyr skate shop and skate team and Santa Monica Airlines skateboards in the 1970s, and Anderson is widely regarded as one of the foremost surfboard shapers in California, having started his career as an intern at Santa Monica Airlines skateboards in the 1980s. The shop signage is a further tie to local visual culture, painted by local sign painter in a hand-style that draws from San Francisco graffiti and sign painting.
"I have known Petrus for a number of years, my admiration for Hem grows every year, and I'm thrilled that we have been able to collaborate," commented designer Jonathan Olivares. "Helping Hem further engage with California and especially Bay Area audience, as well as meeting and working with Scott Anderson and Skip Engblom, master craftsman and important figures in skate and surf culture merged my professional and personal interests. Working with them to provide a context for Hem's collection was a privilege."
The San Francisco shop will feature a selection of seating, tables and accessories made in collaboration with vanguard designers from around the world. Key pieces include popular items such as the Kumo Sofa by Anderssen & Voll, Last Stool by Max Lamb and Hai Chair by Luca Nichetto, as well as a number of accessories including the Stripe Throw by Arthur Arbesser, Storm Cushion by Sylvain Willenz and Table Mortar by Mark Braun, to name only a few.
Photography: Daniele Ansidei